Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-31
DAILY HERALD.
CHINA's EMPEROR TO WE'D.
A Ceremony that Is to Cost at
Least $1,000, 900.
New York Mail & Express. |

Inc emperor OF Onlna Is ABOUT u
marry. Such is the announcement
that has come from the celestial EN-
pire by cable this week, and that has
awakened lively interest in Chinatown
The present emperor is Tsai-tien, sor
of Prince Chun, and he was born Aug
Is, 1871. This would make him II
years old the coming month, but as the
emperor of China has the peculiar
privilege OF adding two years to his ags
whenever he or the high officials O
his government see fit, he is now con
sidered to have reached his 18th year
and fully competent to enter into the
married state. 1t is announced that 1
wife, according to the customs of his
land, has been selected for him anC
that the preparations for the ceremo
nies are about completed. 1t is stateG
that the festivities OF the occasion will
cost at least Sc, 900, 900, and that many
changes in the imperial government
will result from the wedding.
The way Tsai-tien came to be En-
peror was this: The reign OF Emperor
Hienfung ended in 1861. His young
son was the nominal ruler until
January II, 1875, when he died. 1t
is rule in China that the succession
cannot pass to the preceding gen.
Grafton, because this would in
volve the worship of a lower or
younger generation by an older one.
Thus in the question of selecting a
successor and inheritor to the child
less son of Hienfung there were in
volved some curious features of Chi
nese customs. The eldest brother
ri Emperor of Hienfung had been
made posthumous heir of and uncle,
and this made his son ineligible. The
elevation of Prince Kung's son to be
emperor was inexpedient, as it would
necessitate the retirement of his father
from active participation in the Gov
ernment because of their relation
ship as father and son. The next
eligible candidate was, therefore, Tsai-
ten, and he was chosen by the EN-
press dowager and the Princes of the
Manchu imperial clan. His parents
were brother and sister of those of his
predecessors and the same regency was
appointed.
Marriage customs in China are pecu-
liar, and those pertaining to the mar
Fiage OF the Emperor are most peculiar
Of all. Only once since 1874 has a
marriage taken place in the imperial
palace when the imperial bridegroom
was a minor. This was on October
16, 1872, when the Emperor Tungchi,
aged II, was married to Aluteh,
Manchu lady.
The Emperor does not see his bride
until the wedding ceremony. She is
selected for him by the Expresses
Dowager. She must be a Manchu
and belong to the Eight Banners
division of the military population. A
year previous to the wedding, orders
are issued to this class that
every girl of a specified
age shall be sent to the
imperial palace. This order is not
obeyed with alacrity, as one would
suppose it would be, for the reason
that the people know that
when a girl becomes an En-
press she is as good as hidden
away from her parents forever. They,
therefore, have all sorts of excuses
ready, making out that their daugh-
tiers are lame, deformed, sick or in
some manner afflicted, in the hope
that they may be passed over. But
this does not avail, as the government
has learned of these things and now
orders that no matter what the al
legged trouble of the girls is they shall
attend the palace. These girls, sew
eral hundred in number, are put
through a thorough course of examina-
ton, ten at time, by the Expresses
Dowager. Fifty are first selected
and the remainder are allowed to go.
After these fifty have been retained at
the palace for some time they are in
turn weeded out until only ten remain.
This process is repeated after time
until finally only the bride-elect is
left. She is then placed in an elegant
bridal house in Peking, where she
remains preparing herself for the
wedding until it takes place.
For week preceding and following
the wedding all the courts in the land
are closed and all criminals are given
their liberty, even those who have
been condemned to death. The EN-
press Dowager or Expresses Dowager
control the details, the most important
of which are announced to the empire
in a series of edicts prepared by a
board of rites. These edicts contain
directions for every motion of the EN-
peror and his bride, as well as those
who take part in the ceremonies our
ing the occasion and for five days fol-
lowing.
About week before the wedding a
route is selected through the streets of
Peking from the brides house to the
imperial palace, by which the bride is
to be conducted to her future home.
To mark this route path is laid out
and sprinkled with new sand to make
it look yellow, this being the imperial
color. Over this route the presents of
the bride are taken to the apartments
which she will occupy in the palace.
Only once day are the presents con-
veyed to the palace. This is in the
morning, and a procession ac-
companies them. For Turgchi's
bride in 1872 these process
sions were continuous for fully a
week before the ceremony, and the
presents included large and elegant
cabinets, deliberately carved chairs
and other articles Of furniture made
of the finest kind of wood, dishes,
vases, goblets and gold aud silver ar
ticles in profusion. The large gifts
are carried by men whose dresses are
of red cloth with white spots. The
smaller articles are carried upon yell
low tables, to which they are fastened.
Along this route for days preceding
the ceremony the body Of men who
are to carry the bridal chair of the en-
press are continually drilling.
A number OF days before the cere-
mony the brides house is most elab-
orately decorated. On the gates is
festooned rich silk in red, blue, yellow
and green, braided and fringed, to-
gether with punches of silk. On the
pedestal OF each post in front of the
house there is painted in red the word